Randall leads USA in Tour de Ski day two

Tour de Ski

Sun, Jan  2, 2011 - By US Ski Team

OBERHOF, Germany (Jan. 1)- The U.S. Ski Team’s Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) and Kris Freeman (Andover,NH) both cracked the top 30 Saturday in the second of eight stages of the fifth annual FIS Tour de Ski. Randall was 22nd in the 10k classic pursuit with Freeman 28th in the men’s 15k.

In the second day of snowfall, making for tricky waxing conditions, Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk won the women’s pursuit by more than 30 seconds over Finland’s surprising Krista Lahteenmaki. Petra Majdic, who finished second at last year’s Tour de Ski, finished in third.

Three-time U.S. Olympian Randall said she was slow to start. "It was a decent race, but I felt a little flat on the first lap," said Randall. "I felt better at the end of the second lap and had good energy on the climbs. But my skis were a little slower than the pack I was with, so I kept getting dropped back to the end of the train after the downhills. Then on the next climb I would get trapped behind a wall of girls - asically stuck in traffic. I had a strong finish and just missed catching three more racers by the finish."

Former overall World Cup champion Dario Cologna of Switzerland took the men’s pursuit event over Canadian Devon Kershaw. The U.S. Ski Team’s Andy Newell (Shaftsbury,VT) was 58th.

The men’s field stayed close during most of the race, with Cologna surging ahead just before the finish line. Cologna now takes the lead of the Tour over Swedish skier Marcus Hellner.

All the teams now transit to Oberstdorf, Germany Saturday and will prepare for Sunday’s third stage - classic sprints at the Tour de Ski. The weather is expected to be fair in Oberstdorf. Following Sunday's classic sprints, a mixed technique pursuit is on tap for Monday. Randall and Newell are then looking forward to hitting their specialty, freestyle sprints, when the Tour de Ski heads south to Toblach, Italy.

Following stage two Kowalczyk  and Cologna are the overall tour leaders in the general classification.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
TOUR DE SKI
Stage 2
January 1, 2011
Oberhof, Germany

Men’s 15k Classic Pursuit
1. Dario Cologna, Switzerland, 47:48.1
2. Devon Kershaw, Canada, 47:48.6
3. Alexander Legkhov, Russia, 47:48.9
4. Ilia Chernousov, Russia, 47:52.3
5. Petter Northug, Norway, 47:53.5
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28. Kris Freeman, Andover, NH, 48:29.0
58. Andy Newell, Shaftsbury,VT, 50:29.7

Women’s 10 k Classic Pursuit
1. Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, 33:32.5
2. Krista Lahteenmaki, 34:00.0
3. Marianne Longa, Italy, 34:03.0
4. Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 34:04.1
5. Petra Majdic, Slovenia, 34:07.0
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22. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage, 35:09.5